Ghana rates among the world’s poorest countries and struggles under a heavy
disease burden typically associated with an equatorial location and low income
levels. The health care delivery system in Ghana is complex and is composed of
many interlinked functions and activities among sectors and organizations.
Although some improvements in basic drug management and use have been realized
in recent years due to concerted efforts on the part of the Ministry of Health,
significant gaps in access to medicines exist, particularly in relation to
affordability of products in all sectors and quality of service in private
retail outlets and in rural areas.

Strategies that combine strengthening of existing systems and the
introduction of innovative concepts have been formulated to address the most
significant access gaps that are amenable to change. By using a multifaceted
approach to work both within the existing interlinked health care delivery
system and outside the existing system using commercial-sector influences, the
strategy package has the potential to significantly address this access gap.

The main components of the intervention strategy include

strengthening
the mission-sector drug management systems;

strengthening Pharmacy Council
regulatory functions and training delivery capacity for chemical sellers; and

promoting a franchising operation for chemical sellers.

These components
combine to produce a very powerful intervention, considerably beyond the simple
sum of the component parts. The proposed interventions have been formulated in
partnership with the proposed implementing partners and have been discussed in detail with the community of involved stakeholders, where they
enjoy widespread support. In addition, they are consistent with the Government’s
strategic aim to shift the burden of health care to the private sector. Real and
potential constraints and threats to the interventions have been explored, and
they are not considered serious impediments to implementation. All proposed
interventions are formulated so as to achieve self-sufficiency during the life
of the proposed intervention.